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The Servants of the Real Fire is a dualistic religion popular among Southerner communities around the Blue Sea. In Sankhar its two main temples (both magnificent and prominent buildings) are located in Tammarik and it is the largest religion in that city. In each of the two temples, one devoted to the god Malkora and one to the god Aluva, a holy flame burns, one blue and the other gold. Outsiders identify Malkora as an 'evil' god and 'Aluva' as a 'good' god but adherents say this is a gross simplification as the two gods are twins and one can not live without the other. Each of the two halves of the religion has a holy book 'The Book of Malkora' and 'The Teachings of Aluva'. 'The Teachings of Aluva' are very similar to many Pelorean teachings while the teachings in the 'Book of Malkora' accordings to its followers describe a more pragmatic (but definitely not evil) approach to life. What worries many opponents of the religion is, for instance, that while the prohibition of murder for the followers of Aluva is absolute for the followers of Malkora it is justified if 'those in authority' think it necessary. The Malkorans defend this by saying this is just how authority operates in the real world but others think that most Malkorans would see the church itself as being such an 'authority'. The ultimate defence for the adherents of the religion is that it has two human Masters who are considered of equal authority and who have the power of veto over each others projects. Thus the argument goes the religion always ends up acting in a practical and neutral way. There is, however, another aspect of the religion that its critics find disturbing. It was founded in -890 by the Pel bard Arcastur. His message was that although the two gods were equal their influence waxed and waned in a 5000 year cycle and he identified the last apogee for Malkora as being -1416 when most of the North was under the influence of the Great Darkness. The Peloreans who are among the chief critics of the religion deny absolutely that Aluva is in any way to be seen as Pelor but are well aware what many people think. They dislike the idea of any other god being seen to be as powerful as Pelor but in particular disliked the suggestion that his influence might wane after 1084 (when Aluva's apogee was conjectured). It was for this reason among others that the Servants of the Real Fire were proscribed in Reetland in 851. See here for more on the activities of the organisation in the land of their original prophet, Arcastur, the Seven Dominions. |